BODY CELLS IN MILK 125 



give most valuable information regarding the health condition 

 of the cows and will serve to indicate the danger point as to the 

 usability of the milk. It is not practicable to give exact numerical 

 limits at the present time. Further investigation is necessary to 

 this end. However, the following suggestions will be of great 

 value to the analyst in arriving at a better estimate of the quality 

 of the milk under examination. 



Epithelial cells few (1000 per cc.), of no significance. 



Epithelial cells many (5,000,000 per cc. and more), indicates some irritation or seri- 

 ous inflammatory condition of udder or in milk ducts. 



Epithelial cells many with some pus cells, danger. The diseased animal should 

 be found and removed from the herd. 



Pus cells few, indicates some slight abscess formation which should be treated if 

 possible. 



Pus cells many (5,000,000 per cc. or more) indicates danger. The diseased 

 animal should be removed from the herd. 



Blood corpuscles few, no special significance. Probably due to some slight injury 

 resulting in capillary hemorrhage. 



Blood corpuscles many. Indicates some mechanical injury which requires 

 attention. 



For practical purposes it is not advisable to attempt to dis- 

 tinguish between leucocytes and pus corpuscles. Numerous leuco- 

 cytes indicate some serious inflammatory condition while numer- 

 ous pus cells indicates abscess formation perhaps following a 

 more severe inflammation. 



Various methods have been submitted for making the body 

 cell counts. That by Prescott and Breed is perhaps the simplest 

 and also the most practical. It is carried out as follows. Spread 

 o.o i cc. of the milk on a glass slide 1 over an area of i sq. cm., 

 evaporating the milk to dryness using moderate heat. Next 

 dissolve out the butter fat by means of xylol, fix with alcohol, 

 again dry, and stain with methylene blue. Decolorize partially 

 with alcohol and examine under the compound microscope. The 

 body cells in the entire area of the mount are counted and the 



1 The ruled slide elsewhere described (D, Fig. 5) will be found very useful for 

 counting body cells in definite quantities of the milk. 



